# SCHIP Veto will stay!!



## bobbyg29-cl (Apr 21, 2007)

Looks like we won the battle, but its going to be a long war:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071018...s_health_20;_ylt=AlMNYY.3pUCLRkn1qNpdY.wE1vAI


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## happy1 (Jun 29, 2007)

bobbyg29 said:


> Looks like we won the battle, but its going to be a long war:
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071018...s_health_20;_ylt=AlMNYY.3pUCLRkn1qNpdY.wE1vAI


Amen Brother


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## tx_tuff (Jun 16, 2007)

Veto Override Vote Fails

Finally, this critical vote failed to pass the House of Representatives in a floor vote today. The final vote was 273-156, short of the two-thirds majority necessary.

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your perseverance, tenacity, vigilance, and persistence in contacting your U.S. congressmen and congresswomen, and your senators through phone calls, emails, faxes, and personal visits to their district and Capital Hill offices. Without your support and direct action we simply would not have made the noise we did in Congress, gaining the attention of influential members that now understand our niche community-industry cannot absorb a massive tax increase and continue to exist. 

This is only the first round in what will most likely be a continuing battle for the next several months. As SCHIP expansion and extension of the current program will be sought by congressional democrats. We have already begun communicating and working with congressional leaders and their states, taking the position that if a tax increase in cigars must exist, that a realistic, manageable increase must be a part of the overall proposal. 

A special thank you goes out to the manufacturers within our industry for their efforts throughout the United States and Latin America in mobilizing support against this tax increase. Through their coordinated efforts between the Latin American governments, and their counterparts in the United States, they illustrated and successfully conveyed the ramifications of this tax increase on the Latin American citizens and artisans who rely on the handmade cigar industry for a viable, living income. Key legislators now understand it is more than just a pleasure for consumers, but a way of life for those artisans who produced handmade cigars. Because of the handmade cigar industry, many of these citizens would not have reasonable access to medical and dental care, education, and other social services provided by manufacturers based in these small countries. 

Thank you again for your efforts and direct action, for if we are to succeed, we must all hang together, or we will hang separately. 

Chris McCalla

Legislative Director


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## Starsky (Mar 29, 2007)

Right after work, I'm going to the lounge and smoke a big old cigar to celebrate!


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## The Bruce (Mar 7, 2006)

America, F_ck Yeah!

*(Song from Team America)


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## Webmeister (Jun 12, 2007)

So it's back to the drawing board for the Dems... again. They aren't going to drop the issue, and it may become an even bigger point of contention during the elections next year. One of the best things that came out of this was more solidarity between the cigar manufacturer's, awareness for us as consumers, and the realization that some of our elected officials listen to the people that put them in office (and can take them out) - you and me!

Continued vigilance is still needed as this will not go away. Thanks for posting the update Rob!


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## happy1 (Jun 29, 2007)

enjoy while we can,cause the Liberal Democrats aren't done yet


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## JohnR (Apr 1, 2007)

I would characterize it as a stay of execution, rather than an acquittal, but I guess we will take what we can get. 

I am curious what the compromise the President has talked about might be. Do you think it would be funded completely on tobacco taxes as well? I haven't heard any details on what the administration is suggesting.


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## JohnR (Apr 1, 2007)

13 votes shy of the override. That was close.


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## alanf (Jan 12, 2007)

This is great news - but I fear the issue just won't go away.


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## terrasco-cl (Mar 4, 2007)

Sen. Hutchison is planning on running for governor and she's going to have to really work to regain my vote after this.


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## havanitascigars-cl (Apr 29, 2007)

Unfortunately, the Dems are already saying they will pursue this further and are using the "Republican refusal to provide health care for poor, innocent children" as a rallying cry for 2008.


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## mrgatorman (Mar 23, 2007)

bobbyg29 said:


> Looks like we won the battle, but its going to be a long war:
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071018...s_health_20;_ylt=AlMNYY.3pUCLRkn1qNpdY.wE1vAI


One step at a time...


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## MonkeyDan (Aug 3, 2007)

My good friend Stinkie at CigarBeat has made me aware of new legislation that is bringing back SCHIP in a new package. In short, the original bills which contained SCHIP and a cigar tax increase were legislated under bill #976. As you are aware, this bill was vetoed and later failed to get enough votes to override that veto. So, the Liberal "Do-Gooders" have now packaged this bill under Social Security! Unbelievable! Now, the Democrats can say the conservatives are against the elderly. This is politics at it's finest.

The new bill that you need to follow is H.R. 3963. Please call your congressmen and express your displeasure. The new bill wants to increase your tax to $3 a cigar. As soon as Stinkie posted this on his website, I called my Congressman, Jerry Weller. I spoke with his Communication Director, Andy Fuller and he expressed to me that this bill will not pass as well. The idea of funding any program with a cigar tax is self-defeating. The cigar revenue is not large to begin with and taxing a small market will only shrink that revenue. Therefore any bill that includes a sales tax on cigars will not likely pass. Please read Congressman Weller's Position on SCHIP & Cigar Tax. The following is just a sample of Weller's talking points:

_"Democrats plan to pay for their $35 billion expansion of the program with a 61-cent per pack tax on cigarettes. As any 4th grader can tell you, when you raise the price of an item, fewer people will buy it. Cigarette taxes have historically proven to be no different. Thus, Democrats' plan will produce fewer cigarette smokers, and therefore, fewer people who will help pay for SCHIP. They are cutting off the funding stream for children's health care before they even start. Furthermore, an analysis by The Heritage Foundation showed that in order to pay for the Democrats' proposed expansion, the LACE w:st="on">United StatesLACE> would have to produce 22 million new smokers."_


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## Webmeister (Jun 12, 2007)

I heard a speech Bush made last week about SCHIP II (among other things). He said he vetoed the first one and Congress is working on another version that is even more expensive. He said he would veto that one as well.


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## louistogie (Jun 21, 2007)

This what im talking about.
but I wonder how long it will last.


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## Marlboro Cigars-cl (Feb 19, 2007)

Glad to hear the good news.


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## doblemaduro (Jun 24, 2007)

We need to stay active as a new bill is already on Bush's desk ready for him to veto. Call your congressional reps today and tell them to vote no to over ride the veto.


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## Cigar Diva (May 14, 2007)

*Cigar Magizine - Smoke, Lies and the Nanny State*

The artical reveals other taxes hidden that the *"Evil Tobacco"* is intended to support.

SCHIPS is a big portion, but the little ninny nanny programs chip away as well.


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## Cigar Diva (May 14, 2007)

*she is a traitor*

I will be posting her voting record. I have not voted for her for the past 6 years.



terrasco said:


> Sen. Hutchison is planning on running for governor and she's going to have to really work to regain my vote after this.


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## patefengreen (Sep 27, 2007)

Cigar Diva said:


> I will be posting her voting record. I have not voted for her for the past 6 years.


Unfortunately, we sometimes (or oftentimes) have to vote for the lesser of two evils. And a Senator (or even Governor) Kay who turns a blind eye to our cause is still a Republican and predominately votes along party lines. A Demo is still a Demo who wants to give everything away. So when push comes to shove, I'll still choose the Repub; but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I've become very jaded with the political system in the last couple of years (and that's bad because I work for a political consulting firm). Grrr.


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## Lok17 (Jul 31, 2007)

Webmeister said:


> I heard a speech Bush made last week about SCHIP II (among other things). He said he vetoed the first one and Congress is working on another version that is even more expensive. He said he would veto that one as well.


This is one of the only things Bush has done that I agree with. I mean funding a bill with money that will never be there? That sounds to me more something like a bill that Bush would propose himself!!! Thank god he has his head on straight for this one... well until the oil companies find out how they can make money on SCHIPP then he will pass it...


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## Starsky (Mar 29, 2007)

Just read that President Bush has vetoed the revised SCHIP bill and there's not enough support in congress to override it.


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## JohnR (Apr 1, 2007)

Starsky said:


> Just read that President Bush has vetoed the revised SCHIP bill and there's not enough support in congress to override it.


I must have remembered to take my optimist pill this morning, because it seems to me that the longer we drag this SCHIP bill out, the more people are realizing what a bad piece of legislation the congress (especially Pelosi) is peddling here. I may be dreaming, but could it be that the tide is turning against bloating this program at the taxpayer's expense?


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## Craig (Jun 10, 2007)

JohnRider said:


> I may be dreaming, but could it be that the tide is turning against bloating this program at the taxpayer's expense?


I sure hope so. I'm all for providing health care to everyone, but not off our backs.


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